Helping Your Dog Live Longer

by Brannan Realty Group 08/25/2019

Your dog doesn’t know how to tell you when he doesn’t feel well. In fact, although he’s your greatest companion, and knows when to snuggle up to make you feel better, you may not see when he was a serious health issue. A growing epidemic among dogs is the risk of cancer. In fact, more than half the dogs over ten years old are at cancer risk, and even younger dogs are too. The problem? Nutrition.

Feeding your dog for health

According to veterinarians, poor food choices can lead to the build-up of certain chemicals and toxins in your dog’s body, setting them up for cancer risk. Certain dog foods contain these aflatoxins, which are a type of mycotoxin that lead to digestive issues, painful joints, bad breath, and smelly waste. Aflatoxins develop from a fungus called Aspergillus that is a type of mold that forms on grains like rice, corn, soy, and wheat that are stored long term.

They can make your pup gain weight, develop allergies and itching, and even contribute to early death. They bind with your pet’s DNA to cause mutations in cells, forming cancers. Price doesn’t determine whether or not your pet’s food has toxins, studies show that both inexpensive and higher cost kibble contain aflatoxins.

But there are ways to combat the poor nutrition, toxins, and chemicals in your pet’s food.

- Seek out foods with lower grain contents. Dogs rarely eat grain in their natural state, so their digestive systems aren’t really up to the task.